BAN ‘LOVE LOCKS’ IN PARIS NOW! SAVE OUR HISTORIC SITES!

In 2008, “love locks” (padlocks fastened to a bridge to symbolize everlasting love) began to appear on the historic Pont des Arts in Paris, France. Since then, this trend has spread to other bridges in Paris, presenting a mounting problem of costly maintenance, ecological damage, safety and security, and the degradation of cherished historic structures. These locks create a threat to the cultural heritage of the city of Paris, and the time has come to regulate them. For more information, please visit: NoLoveLocks.com. You may also follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

PETITION:

To the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo and the Paris City Council:

I am writing to voice my concerns over the growing problems in Paris caused by “love locks” (padlocks fastened to a bridge to symbolize everlasting love) that have become like a plague on our city’s historic bridges and sites. This is most apparent on the Pont des Arts, which has been terribly degraded, both visually and structurally. In a few short years, the heart of Paris has been made ugly, robbing Parisians of quality of life and the ability to safely enjoy their own public spaces along the Seine, which has itself been polluted by thousands of discarded keys. The time has come to enact a ban on “love locks” in order to return our bridges to their original beauty and purpose.

We can no longer do nothing. The “love locks” trend has exploded into a destructive force so out of control that current methods of repeated repairs cannot keep pace. Citizens and city officials alike have voiced concerns that “love locks” pose security and structural issues, and the presence of the locks, which we believe to be vandalism, has encouraged other acts of lawlessness, such as graffiti, illegal peddling and reckless behavior. Paris is the City of Love, and some may argue that that “love locks” promote romance and tourism, but if that were ever true, it is surely not true now.

Only legal measures will give the city the power to affect real change. I am therefore asking the Mayor of Paris, the Mayors of the 20 arrondissements, and the City Council of Paris to enact and enforce a ban on locks being attached to bridges or any public monument, fence or structure. When these locks are banned and removed, Parisians and visitors will once again be able to enjoy the beauty and romance that makes Paris the most visited city in the world.

Letter to

Maire de ParisAnne Hidalgo

BAN ‘LOVE LOCKS’ IN PARIS NOW! SAVE OUR HISTORIC SITES!

I am writing to voice my concerns over the growing problems in Paris caused by “love locks” (padlocks fastened to a bridge to symbolize everlasting love) that have become like a plague on our city’s historic bridges and sites. This is most apparent on the Pont des Arts, which has been terribly degraded, both visually and structurally. In a few short years, the heart of Paris has been made ugly, robbing Parisians of quality of life and the ability to safely enjoy their own public spaces along the Seine, which has itself been polluted by thousands of discarded keys. The time has come to enact a ban on “love locks” in order to return our bridges to their original beauty and purpose.

We can no longer do nothing. The “love locks” trend has exploded into a destructive force so out of control that current methods of repeated repairs cannot keep pace. Citizens and city officials alike have voiced concerns that “love locks” pose security and structural issues, and the presence of the locks, which we believe to be vandalism, has encouraged other acts of lawlessness, such as graffiti, illegal peddling and reckless behavior. Paris is the City of Love, and some may argue that that “love locks” promote romance and tourism, but if that were ever true, it is surely not true now.

Only legal measures will give the city the power to affect real change. I am therefore asking the Mayor of Paris, the Mayors of the 20 arrondissements, and the City Council of Paris to enact and enforce a ban on locks being attached to bridges or any public monument, fence or structure. When these locks are banned and removed, Parisians and visitors will once again be able to enjoy the beauty and romance that makes Paris the most visited city in the world.